John Riordan is an American banker credited with saving 105 South Vietnamese lives during the Fall of Saigon. He is known as the "Oskar Schindler of the Vietnam War".[1]
In April 1975, Riordan was an Assistant Manager at Citibank in Saigon (modern-day Ho Chi Minh City). He was ordered to evacuate along with other Americans as North Vietnamese Army forces approached the city (then the capital of South Vietnam) during the final days of the Vietnam War. Riordan initially obeyed the evacuation orders and was flown to nearby Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, Riordan began plotting ways to rescue his South Vietnamese coworkers, who were ineligible for evacuation (because they were not Americans) and who were likely to be executed by the Vietcong (because they were closely affiliated with Americans). He proposed numerous plans to Citibank and the US government but was repeatedly turned down. Eventually, Citibank told him to cease and desist his rescue efforts or be terminated from employment.
On April 19, 1975, Riordan flew back to Saigon alone. He gathered all of his South Vietnamese coworkers and their families (105 people in total) and hid them in his villa and a nearby villa near the city. Facing no other options, Riordan decided to claim the 105 people as his dependents so that they would qualify for evacuation aboard US military cargo planes. He applied at the evacuation office ten separate times, listing several of the 105 as his dependents each time. Riordan himself flew out with the last group a few days before the Fall of Saigon.[2]
RecognitionEdit
Citibank, instead of terminating Riordan, praised his efforts and worked to resettle all of the South Vietnamese workers and find them new jobs. Nevertheless, his story was largely unknown until October 2013 when Riordan was profiled on 60 Minutes.[2]
They Are All My Family: A Daring Rescue in the Chaos of Saigon's Fall. PublicAffairs. April 7, 2015. pp. 112–. ISBN978-1-61039-504-5.
ReferencesEdit
^"The Oskar Schindler of the Vietnam War". CBS News. October 11, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
^ abStahl, Lesley (October 13, 2013). "Daring Rescue Days Before the Fall of Saigon". 60 Minutes. CBS News. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
^Toce, Sarah (May 6, 2015). "Gay Vietnam hero tells his tale." Windy City Times. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
^Riordan, John P. (2015). They Are All My Family: A Daring Rescue in the Chaos of Saigon’s Fall. New York: PublicAffairs–Perseus. pp. 50, 88. Retrieved May 6, 2015. ISBN978-1-61039-503-8.
August 25, 2023
john, riordan, banker, john, riordan, american, banker, credited, with, saving, south, vietnamese, lives, during, fall, saigon, known, oskar, schindler, vietnam, john, riordanoccupationbankernationalityamerican, contents, actions, during, fall, saigon, recogni. John Riordan is an American banker credited with saving 105 South Vietnamese lives during the Fall of Saigon He is known as the Oskar Schindler of the Vietnam War 1 John RiordanOccupationBankerNationalityAmerican Contents 1 Actions during the Fall of Saigon 2 Recognition 3 Personal life 4 Works 5 ReferencesActions during the Fall of Saigon EditIn April 1975 Riordan was an Assistant Manager at Citibank in Saigon modern day Ho Chi Minh City He was ordered to evacuate along with other Americans as North Vietnamese Army forces approached the city then the capital of South Vietnam during the final days of the Vietnam War Riordan initially obeyed the evacuation orders and was flown to nearby Hong Kong In Hong Kong Riordan began plotting ways to rescue his South Vietnamese coworkers who were ineligible for evacuation because they were not Americans and who were likely to be executed by the Vietcong because they were closely affiliated with Americans He proposed numerous plans to Citibank and the US government but was repeatedly turned down Eventually Citibank told him to cease and desist his rescue efforts or be terminated from employment On April 19 1975 Riordan flew back to Saigon alone He gathered all of his South Vietnamese coworkers and their families 105 people in total and hid them in his villa and a nearby villa near the city Facing no other options Riordan decided to claim the 105 people as his dependents so that they would qualify for evacuation aboard US military cargo planes He applied at the evacuation office ten separate times listing several of the 105 as his dependents each time Riordan himself flew out with the last group a few days before the Fall of Saigon 2 Recognition EditCitibank instead of terminating Riordan praised his efforts and worked to resettle all of the South Vietnamese workers and find them new jobs Nevertheless his story was largely unknown until October 2013 when Riordan was profiled on 60 Minutes 2 Personal life EditRiordan is openly gay 3 4 Works EditThey Are All My Family A Daring Rescue in the Chaos of Saigon s Fall PublicAffairs April 7 2015 pp 112 ISBN 978 1 61039 504 5 References Edit The Oskar Schindler of the Vietnam War CBS News October 11 2013 Retrieved October 15 2013 a b Stahl Lesley October 13 2013 Daring Rescue Days Before the Fall of Saigon 60 Minutes CBS News Retrieved October 15 2013 Toce Sarah May 6 2015 Gay Vietnam hero tells his tale Windy City Times Retrieved May 6 2015 Riordan John P 2015 They Are All My Family A Daring Rescue in the Chaos of Saigon s Fall New York PublicAffairs Perseus pp 50 88 Retrieved May 6 2015 ISBN 978 1 61039 503 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Riordan banker amp oldid 1145362883, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
